Elastic-fluid turbine.



G. D. 'ATWOOD. ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1030.80, 1909.

1,024,920. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

WITNESSES Arm mug UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. ATWOOD', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. ATwooD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have made certain new and useful Inventions Relating to Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to elastic fluid turbines and relates specially to steam turbines which may be of the De Laval type having substantially radially arranged blades provided with intermediate blade partitions to form a plurality of rows of buckets with which the nozzles cooperate and having adj acent each nozzle a series of curved return passages on both sides of said buckets to pass the fluid from each nozzle a plurality of times through the different rows of buckets before finally discharging the same from the wheel.

In the accompanying drawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way an illustrative embodiment of this invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial side View. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4c and 5 are details showing the blade mounting and construction. Fig. 6 shows the construction of a return passage; and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the travel of the fluid through the blades.

In the illustrative embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings, the turbine may as indicated be of the De Laval type in which the turbine buckets are formed by providing a series of radially arranged blades 1 which may be secured to the wheel 3 by suitable dovetailed feet 9. Each blade may if desired be formed with an integral blade flange 6 adjacent its outer end and with an integral blade partition 27 adjacent its middle portion which cooperate with the corresponding portions of the adjacent blades so that two radially displaced rows of buckets are formed in this instance, the outer buckets being located between the curved blades 4 and the inner row of buckets being similarly located between the curved inner portions 14 of the turbine blades which may if desired be more firmly held in position by a suitable tire band, such as 26. The wheel may be mounted in any desired way as for instance by forming the shaft 20 with a suitable col- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 30, 1909.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Serial No. 535,625.

lar 12 cooperating with the hub bushings 13 so as to support the wheel 3 in the desired way on the shaft which may of course be mounted in suitable bearings in the casing. The turbine casing may have any desired construction, preferably of a sectional character, and if desired the casing member 1 may be provided with partitions to form the admission chamber 15 and shaft chamber 21 and the cooperating casing member 2 may be rigidly secured in position as by the bolts 29 so as to form the wheel chamber 16 and the peripheral chamber 17 around the wheel, the member 2 also being formed if desired with the exhaust chamber 24 and shaft chamber 21.

Any desired number of nozzles 5, which may be of the expansion type to affect a suitable expansion of the steam or other impelling fluid before directing the same into the wheel buckets, may be arranged at suitable intervals around the wheel and one or more curved return passages may be mounted on one or both sides of the wheel adjacent each nozzle to receive the fluid therefrom and pass the same through another row of buckets so that the fluid may be passed a number of times through the buckets before it is finally discharged into the exhaust chamber. The return passages may be formed directly in the casing members adjacent the wheel buckets 0r secured thereto in any desired way, as for example, by forming separate return passages 7, 8 and securing them in position in the casing members 1, 2, as indicated in Fig. 8. It is desirable to have the return passages radially displaced to some extent as indicated in Fig. 1, so that each return passage'may deliver the fluid nearer to the central portion of the row of buckets into which it discharges and thus minimize friction and of course the return passages should be circumferentially spaced around the wheel so as to properly receive the fluid issuing from the buckets at the speed the wheel normally rotates and these return passages should be backwardly directed so that the fluid issuing therefrom may have the proper impelling action. It is of course understood that these return passages may have a gradually expanding cross-section throughout each series as indicated in Fig. 3 so as to accommodate the increasing volume of fluid traveling through the series before its discharge through the discharge opening 18 into the exhaust cham ber, although it is not necessary in all cases to have such a diflerence in cross-section throughout the series of return passages. If desired, the U-shaped return passages may be formed as indicated in Fig. 6 and may be provided with a suitable diaphragm 28 to more effectively guide the fluid which enters through the receiving passage 11 and is discharged into the other row of buckets through the discharge passage 10. The flow of fluid is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7, the steam or other elastic fluid entering the nozzle 5 as indicated by the arrow and passing therethrough along the dotted line so as to enter and pass through the inner row or portion of the buckets and then after entering the first return passage emerges at the upper portion of this passage as indicated by the full line and passes through the outer row or portion of the buckets to be received in the upper portion of the first return passage 7 next the nozzle down which it is guided as shown by the dotted line to again pass through the inner buckets so that in this instance the fluid passes seven times through the wheel buckets before its final discharge therefrom.

Having described this invention in connection with a number of illustrative embodiments, forms, proportions, numbers and arrangements of parts, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a sectional casing formed with an admission chamber, a wheel chamber and an exhaust chamber, a shaft having a wheel running in said wheel chamber, substantially radially arranged blades provided with intermediate blade partitions mounted on said wheel to form a plurality of radially displaced rows of buckets between the adjacent blades, nozzles cooperating with said buckets and a series of expanding sectioned angularly arranged curvecl return passages having separating diaphragms mounted adjacent each nozzle in angular planes on both sides of said buckets and radially displaced with respect thereto to receive the fluid from one row of buckets and discharge the same adjacent the central portion of another row of buckets to pass the fluid from each nozzle a plurality of times through said rows of buckets before discharging the same into said exhaust chamber.

2. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a shaft having a wheel running in said wheel chamber, substantially radially arranged blades provided with intermediate blade partitions mounted on said wheel to form a plurality of radially displaced rows of buckets between the adjacent blades, nozzles cooperating with said buckets and a series of expanding sectioned angularly arranged U- shaped return passages having separating diaphragms mounted adjacent each nozzle on both sides of said buckets and radially displaced with respect thereto to receive the fluid from one row of buckets and discharge the same adjacent the central portion of another row of buckets to pass the fluid from each nozzle a plurality of times through the wheel buckets before finally discharging the same therefrom.

3. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a wheel running in said chamber and having substantially radially arranged blades provided with intermediate blade partitions to form a plurality of radially displaced rows of wheel buckets, a nozzle coiiperating with said wheel buckets and an overlapping series of angularly arranged rearwardly directed U-shaped return passages having separating diaphragms mounted adjacent said nozzle on both sides of said buckets and radially displaced with respect thereto to receive the fluid from one row of buckets and discharge the same adjacent the central portion of another row of buckets to pass the fluid a plurality of times through said wheel buckets before finally discharging the same therefrom.

4. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, awheel running in said wheel chamber, and provided with substantially radially arranged blades toform wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets to discharge fluid transversely therethrough and a series of overlapping, rearwardly directed U-shaped return passages mounted adja cent said nozzle on both sides of said buckets and radially displaced with respect thereto to each receive the fluid discharged from one portion of said wheel buckets and discharge the same into a radially displaced portion of said wheel bucket-s to pass the fluid from said nozzle a plurality of times through said Wheel buckets before finally discharging the same therefrom.

5. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a wheel running in said chamber and provided with substantially radially arranged blades to form wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets to discharge fluid transversely therethrough and an overlapping series of rearwardly directed curved return passages located adjacent said nozzle in angular planes on both sides of said buckets to each receive the fluid discharged from one portion of said wheel buckets and discharge the same into a radially displaced portion of said wheel buckets to pass the fluid from said nozzle a plurality of times through said wheel buckets before flnally discharging the same therefrom.

6. The elastic fluid turbine comprisng a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a wheel running in said chamber and provided with substantially radially arranged blades to form wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets to discharge fluid transversely therethrough and a series of rearwardly directed return passages mounted adjacent said nozzle on both sides of said buckets to each receive the fluid discharged from said wheel buckets and discharge the same into a radially displaced port-ion of said wheel buckets to pass the fluid from said nozzle a plurality of times through said wheel bucket-s before finally discharging the same therefrom.

7. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a wheel running in said chamber and provided with a plurality of radially displaced rows of wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets and a curved return passage angularly mounted adjacent said nozzle to receive the fluid discharged from said nozzle from one of said rows of buckets and to discharge the same into another row of said wheel buckets.

S. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a wheel running in said chamber and provided with substantially radially arranged blades to form wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets to discharge fluid transversely therethrough and a rearwardly directed flat U-shaped return passage provided with a separating diaphragm mounted adjacent said nozzle to receive from said wheel buckets the fluid discharged from said nozzle and to discharge the same into a radially displaced portion of said wheel buckets.

9. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a wheel running in said wheel chamber and provided with substantially radially arranged blades to form wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets to discharge fluid transversely therethrough and a rearwarclly directed U-shaped return passage mounted adjacent said nozzle to receive from one portion of said wheel buckets the fluid discharged from said nozzle and to discharge the same into another radially displaced portion of said wheel buckets.

10. The elastic fluid turbine comprising a casing formed with a wheel chamber, a Wheel mounted in said wheel chamber and provided with substantially radially arranged blades to form wheel buckets, a nozzle cooperating with said wheel buckets to discharge fluid transversely therethrough and angularly arranged rearwardly directed U-shaped return passages mounted adjacent said nozzle on both sides of said wheel buckets to each receive the fluid from one portion of said wheel buckets and discharge the same into another radially displaced portion of said wheel buckets to pass the fluid from said nozzle a plurality of times through said wheel buckets before finally discharging the same therefrom.

GEO. D. ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

HARRY L. DUNoAN, JEssIE B. KAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. v 

